Bottle spacer



Aug. 10, 1937. R. E. READ ET AL BOTTLE SPACER Filed April 24, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTO R N EY 7- R. E. READ ET AL 2.089.297

BOTTLE S PACER Filed April 24, 1955 2 Sheet Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

oles of various forms,

Patented Aug. 1 1937 I 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE some sracnn Robert a. Bead, Mount Kisco, N.

A. Petlold, South Milwaukee, mesne assignments, to H. B.

. Y. and Coulter D.

Y., and George Win, assignors, by Weaver, Scarsdale, Young, New Rochelle,

, Application April 24, 1935, Serial No. 17,888

6 Claims. ((71. 229-21) satisfactory cushioning means for bottles and other fragile articles during shipment. Our improved spacing means or divider is so designed as to carry out its function irrespective of the type of carton or case in which the articles are packed. Thus, our improved spacing means or divider is designed for use in cartons, cases, baskets, hampers, bags, or. any other type of container.

Inthe handling and shipping of bottled goods and/or fragile articles care must be taken to avoid direct contact between the packed articles as it has been found that breakage during shipment is due primarily to such direct contact between the packed articles. Accordingly, it is the primary object of our present invention to provide a spacing means or divider for packed articles which will prevent direct contact between the said articles.

Another object of our presentinvention is to provide a spacing means or divider made of a suitable cushioning material, preferably a molded pulp material, so constructed as to be self-sustaining, and so shaped as to provide, in operative position,- cells conforming substantially to, the external configuration of the articles to be packed.

vA further object of our present invention is to provide a divider or spacing means so constructed and designed that it may be shipped in substantially flat form thereby reducing'the amount of space used in shipping and hence reducing the cost of shipment of the spacing means or dividers to the bottling plant or packing concern. Al. though our present invention is chiefly concerned with the provision of a suitable packing spacer, or the like. for bottles it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that our present invention is suitable for use in the packing of artishapes and sizes, its use being limited only-by the fact that certain types of articles do not lend themselves to the use of separating means or dividers. The spacing means or divider constituting thesubject matter of our present invention has been designed so as to be readily manufactured by a substantially continueus molding operation, as, for example, by the conventional suction molding process. It is to be understood. however, that the process used is but incidental to our present invention.

These and other objects 01. our present invention will become more apparent from a study of the following description taken with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of our spacing means or divider showing the same in operative position in a suitable container;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the lines 2--2 of. Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the lines 10 4-4 of Fig. 2; the container being omitted for purposes of clarity;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of our improved spacing means or divider showing how a plurality of spacing means or dividers may be stacked for 15 shipment;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of spacing means in which greater strength and rigidity is obtained and in which ordinary variations in the size of articles may be compensated;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a second modified form of the invention in which greater protection is obtained while the advantages of the preceding forms are utilized to their fullest extent, the entire article not being disclosed, but suflicient thereof to enable a full understanding;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the modification disclosed in Fig. 7, the entire article being displayed in the form in which it is shipped in order that a plurality may be nested as in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing this latter form of the invention positioned in a suitable outer container and protecting a plurality of bottles. 5

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts we have shown one embodiment of our invention in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive. Referring now to Fig. 5 we have shown a spacing means or divider formed preferably of moulded pulp material comprising two sections l0 and H connected together by hinge l2. Each section is identicalin construction but in view of the fact that they are connected together it will be appreciated that they are opposite in relation to each other. Each of the sections is provided with a centrally located rounded or concave portion l3 of sufficient size to embrace a bottle or similar article substantially to its median point. The sides of this central portion are defined by ridges I 4 and i5 into which the said sides merge. It is to be understood that these ridges need not extend so as to substantially embrace a bottle to its median point but may be extended to a greater or less depth, if desired. The central portion I 3 is substantially semi-circular in shape and is provided with a fiattened'surface l6 located adjacent the hinge i2.

Extending from the hinge on either side thereof are a pair of spaced ribs l'l extendingin parallel relation to each other. By this construction the hinge is reinforced sothat the material is not broken away by continual bending of the hinge, and the ribs prevent bellying of the material adjacent the hinge, thereby permitting the sections I II and l I to contact with each other substantially their entire length. Thus, even though the hinge be of considerable width the contact between the sections l0 and II is at all times maintained.

On either side of the central portion l3 there is provided an extension 3 which is preferably in the shape of an arc of 90, although it may be extended tangentially beyond the end of the arc, if desired. At the end of each section there is provided an end wall l9 formed by deforming the ridges l4 and I5. These end walls effectively brace the free ends of the central and side sections and assist in preserving their rounded cross-sectional shape. These end walls are preferably at an inclination to the general plane of the blank, primarily for ease in the molding process, but they may be formed at any other desired angle.

The hinge I2 is preferably of the width of. the

-central portion l3 but it may be of a greater width if desired and in that case .the blank would ape proach a rectangular plan outline. However, by

cutting away the side members so that the hinge is of the width of the central portion not only is a better hinge action obtained but a better appearing article is formed.

The blank thus ,formedpermits a plurality of spacing means or dividers to be nested and to be shipped in as small a space as possible. This feature is of extreme importance from a commercial angle since in shipping articles space is at a premium. When the two sections of the blank are folded together along the hinge line there is formed the spacing means or divider illustrated in Figs 1'to 4 inclusive. The flattened portions l6, as hereinbefore described, enable the two sections to have surface contact with each other throughout their entire length. It will be appreciated thatthe flattened portions also provide a convenient means by which the divider may be grasped and held in shape while inserting the same between bottles or other articles. Our improved spacing means or divider also presents opposed outwardly extending ridges forming pockets or partial pockets with the abutting or adjacent walls of the container within each of which an article may be protected from engagement with other articles.

In the use of our improved spacing means or divider the bottles 20, preferably six in number, may be placed in a bag 2|, or other suitable carton,

the spacing means or divider being folded into operative position and inserted between the bottles as is shown in Figsfil to 3 inclusive. It will be noted that the ridges l4 and 15 project between the bottles and thereby maintain the bottles separated from each other. In commercial practice the filled bag' 2| may be packed in an outer container or master case, possibly with a number of other filled bags, and the retailer, upon the sale of a half dozen bottles, may remove the bag from the container. To this end we have provided the bag with handles 22.

By making the end walls l9 substantially vertical to the body of the blank the ridges of the spacing means or divider will extend substantially to the bases of the bottles, and, by having the upper ends of the ridges formed with a longer slope the spacing means or divider is provided 5 with an upwardly tapering top which may be more easily grasped for proper manipulation.

Referring to Fig. 6 a modified form is disclosed wherein the hinge between sections I0 and II is substantially. the width of the sections, whereas 10 in the first disclosed form the hinge is but slightly greater than the central portion. In this form the hinge I2 is also further distinguished by the hinge being arched above the normal plane of the sections. The eflect of this is to create a greater l5 cushioning eflect in the separator when inserted between articles, inasmuch as when the two sections are folded together the corners 30 will be the first portions to come in contact and will thereafter resist any force tending to cause the 20 rear walls of the pockets to become engaged throughout their'length. As a resultof this the bottoms of the two sections tend to spring outward away from each other and thereby resiliently space opposed articles to a greater extent. 25 In this form, due to the increased width of the hinge, there are a greater number of reinforcing ribs l1 made possible, thereby further strengthening the separator.

A further feature illustrated in this figure which may be applied to any of the forms of the device is that the tops of the ridges l4 and I5 are cut away or slit at 8| whereby the side walls of the pockets resiliently readjust themselves to any normal variation in' the size of the articles. By the use of these slots the ridges ll and I5 can normally be made broader than usualin order that the'pocket in its normal posi- I tion will closely conform to the smallest usual size of the article, but may expand to accommo- 40 date the largest usual size of the article. It is well known that the ordinary machine moulded bottle may vary as much as one eighth of an inch in diameter, and this form of the invention allows for such variations. 45

Figs. '7 to 9 inclusive disclose a form of the device wherein greater protection is obtained and which is of greater utility inasmuch as it will retain the form of a carrying bag to a greater extent than otherwise possible. This form of complete the semi-circular enclosure for the 55 outer articles. The major feature of this form of the invention is that second pocket completing sections 40 and II are hinged to the base of the sections it" and II", respectively. .This is accomplished by forming a complete end wall I9" normal to the general plane of the sections l0" and II". This vertical wall terminates in a hinge 42, at the level of the tops of the ridges I4" and I5" between pockets. The hinge l2 joins a vertical wall 43 on the sections 40, ll 65 to the end wall IS" on the primary sections. The section 40 comprises semi-circular pockets opposed to the pockets in the primary sections thereby completing cylindrical nests within which the articles are fully protected. The 7 pockets in section 40 are defined by ridges l4 and 45 in alignment with ridges l4" and I5", respectively, so as to be in contact therewith when theprimary and secondary sections are folded as shown in Fig. 9. The section 40 may termi- 75 nate in an end wall l9" similar to that. of the other sections.

It will be appreciated that the sections 40, 4| need not extend to the full height of the article as illustrated in Fig. 9, but this is the preferred form inasmuch as greater protection will be afforded and the walls of the carrying container will be braced thereby.

It is obvious that various modifications of our 10 present invention may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of our present invention and it is to be clearly understood that our present invention is not to be limited except by the scope of the following claims which are 15 to be broadly construed, the illustrated forms being solelyfor the purpose of illustration and explanation.

What we claim as new is:

1. A blank for an article spacing means or 20 divider comprising two sections hinged together at an end, each section comprising a formed sheet of uniform thickness having ridges therein, said ridges being reinforced by a wall at the end opposite the hinged end, and smaller reinforcing ridges in each sheet adjacent the hinged end, said first ridges defining a central concave portion and an outer concave portion at each side thereof, the edges of said sections sloping inwardly adjacent said hinged ends so that the 30 hinge is substantially the width of the central portion.

2. A spacing device comprising two sections ness having a central transverse hinge-line, and ribs extending at right angles to said hingeline and spaced therefrom and equally spaced from the center line of the sheet normal to said hinge-line; the sheet being curved cylindrically from said longitudinal center line to the apex of each of said ribs and being similarly curved from the outer side of said ribs to the outer edges of said sheet, said transverse hinge-line being curved in the opposite direction to the curves of said sheets.

4. A spacing device comprising hinged sections, each section being formed with ridges defining article receiving pockets, the crests of said ridges being slotted longitudinally thereof.

5. A spacing device comprising hinged sections, each section being formed with ridges de fiining article receiving pockets, the crests of said ridges being slotted longitudinally thereof, and end portions of said ridges being transversely braced to maintain the form of said sheet.

6. Article spacing means comprising a symmetrical sheet of substantial uniform thickness having a central transverse hinge-line along which the sheet is designed to be doubled upon itself, and ribs extending at right angles to said hinge-line and spaced therefrom and equally spaced from the center line of the sheet normal to said hinge-line, the sheet being designed to be doubled so as to cause said ribs to face outwardly therefrom, the sheet being curved cylindrically from said longitudinal center line to the apex of each of said ribs and being similarly curved from the other side of said ribs to the outer edges of said sheet, said sheet being fashioned adjacent said hinge-line in such a manner as to cause said sheet resiliently to oppose being doubled along said hinge-line.

GEORGE A. PETZOLD. ROBERT E. READ. 

